Combined chute and gravity conveyer.



I PATBNTED JULY 24, 1.996. M.' c., SCHWAB. COMBINED CHUTE v'AND GRAVITY CONVBYER.-

APPLICATION FILED H1129, 1906..I

M. G. SCHWAB.

PATENTED JULY 24, 1906.

GMBINl-zn GHUTE AND GRAVITY CONVEYER.

' APPLICATION FILED IAY29, 1905.

Il Illlllll LIIIIIII 2 SHEETS-SHEET a.

l |NvE` TOR 7/ L4/.A

f BY /z ym LM/W@ ATTORNEY UNITED STATES 4rnrinwr OFFICE.

MARTIN C. SCHWAB, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR T() GRAVITY CONVEYOR COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW'YORK.

Spedication of Letters Patent.

Patented July 24, 190e.

Application tiled Hay 29, 1905. Serial No. 262,835.

To all whom, it may concern:

. Be it known that I, MARTIN C. SCHWAB, a citizen of the United States, residing at Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, have invented vlo a new and useful Improvement in a- Combined Chute and Gravity Conveyer, of which the following is a specification.

The. obj ect of my invention is the provision of means for conve 'ng from an upper to a lower elevation pac ages and large-sized letters and arranging such means in the immediatepoximit toa letter-chute. A

ther o ject of my invention is the .provisionof observation-windows, so that it may be noted when .the chute or vconveyer becomes obstructed with letters or packages. Other objects of the invention will appear hereinafter, the novel combinations of ele- .2y in that the section represents an elli tical casing and coreinstead of a c lindrica casing and core, as in Fi 2; and ig. 4 is a vertical sectional view o a ortion of Fig. 1 and taken on the line C C of direction lof the arrows a a. 10 designates the chute and conve er in general, being supported by the groun -loor 2,0 and passing through the landing-floors,

herein shown as only two, 30 and 40.

outer she .4

form in sha 13 designates the inner core, and 11 the or casing, between which are interposed a pluralit of spiral blades. I have in this -instance s own two such blades 12 12'; but this number may be increased, 'if deaired.v The core in cross-section should conto the outer casing and in Fig.

2 they are oth shown circular, while in Fig.

l3 they are elliptical to allow more letterchutes to be placed in the inner core. The inner coreis preferably made in sections, as indicated by the lines k 46, 47 and 48.

- I At-thetop of the conveyer is a flat cover or table 42, in the. center of which are ope registeringwith the vertical chutes 49', 50

.and 51,as shown in 3. These vertical chutes are for the purpose o directing letters ig. 2 looking in the 58, res ectively, in the outer shell or casing in their fall to the bottom loor 20. As indicated by the dotted lines 54 and 55, the vertical chut'es lead to separate compartments in the cabinet or receiving-box 56, provided at the bottom of the conveyer. Independent doors 52 and 53 `,are shown for these separate compartments. Separate and independent compartments lare also rovided' for the lower ends of the spiral b ades 12 12.- An inclined platform 23 connects the spiral blade 12 through the exit-opening 21 with one of these compartments (shown at the right inFig. 1) and provided with the door 43. The other compartment at the vlet has a door 43 and is connected' with the spiral blade 12 by the inclined platform 23', which passes through the exit-opening' 21'.- The com artments for the packages are separate from the letter-compartments by the` partitions 44l and 44.

At the .upper end of the conveyer suitable intake-opemngs -39 and 39 are rovided, the inclined portions- 38 and- 38 eing for" the purpose offacilitatin' the insertion of packages onto the spiral lades l2 and 12, respectively. Although the vertical section of the spiral blade 12 at 18 shows the blade lslightly inclined toward Ithe inner core, the

same may be made horizontal, if desired.

At the landing 30 are inclined intake-openings 31 31 in removable sections or doors 57 11. e intake-openings may be modifie to be like that shown at 59 in Fig: 4, or any `other type of intake-opening may be used vandarraned at a suitable distance above the spiral lades, depending on the size of the packages to be conveyed and the character of their contents.

At suitable points in the outer casing observation-o eni'ngs, as at 82, Fig. 4, are provided, so t at a person desiring to place a package into the conve er may first determine whether or not t e conveyer is obstructed by other packages. APreferably a frame 61 is secured to the outer casing 11 and lass placed in the same to form a window.

though the opening 82 is shown in Fig. 4

above the intake-opening 59, it may be placed at any desirable point above the spiral blades and adjacent each floor.

At other than the top landing the means IOC shownin Fig. 4 are provided for conveyirrilgllet-v ese `ters into the vertical chutes 49 and 50.

means comprise the' fiat tubes -or-inelined vertical' e utes should ave a steep inclina.-4

tion, so that the letters may be given an. val. most vertical position before they enter the vertical chutes. instance byhaving the portions 68 and 69 more inclined ,but retaining the upper prtionof the t'ub'e in a straight line', so that b'y're ason-oi-the enlarged ende longerflettersf ma beplaced err-suchf-a construction -is used;l more space' is obtained f f i f; into the chutes atlany ilo-or.`

above the spiral)blacle--for-'-l packages; and;

' furthermore;a-largernurnber ofvspiralbladesmay be placed'in the conveyer=- The-tubesA zo 70 andi7lmuet'be placedfjustbelow' the s ira-l blades-"1,2v and 121, respectively', and'` s ould not `have suehl a steep-inclination seas' to interfere with A-pgntskagen:deseemling along-l the spiral surfaces;

In order to obberve-the--1etter'- chutes-'to determine Whether-they are obstructed, obJ servation-openings 62. areV provided in the .outer casing-,covered with glass 60 inf' aframe 61 and in1aii'neinent'withl anob'serva' in a frame- 74. i1 alinemcnt withlthe openl Although I have shownl the observation openingsorwindowsvin'horizontal alinement,

' they may b'e placed iii-aline'- parallel With' the conveying-tubes 70 and71, ii'ldesired.` Other modifications may also be made without departing from the spiritlv and s copeomy invention.

Having thus illy described my invention and Without limiting myself to the'precise 5 5l construction of details andV arrangement vof parts herein disclosed, what= l desire to have- States is;

' 1. The combination of alettench'ute, and a gravityconveyer.l

2. The combination 'of'aelette'nchntn-i, and a spiral 'gravityconve'yer'.

' 3. The combination'of avertical letterx chute, and" a gravityconveyer adjacent thereto. j

This is accompli-shed 'in thisI tionopening 72- in" the core v13', the latter` opening 72 bem also covered-with glass 78-4` own one side; oi the chute 50 construeted V62. Itwill be Seenthat-v protected by Leam- Peiem'ofthe United- 4i The combination oiivadletterechute, and a multiple spiral gravity conveyer.

5. The-- combination Awith :an outer casing?,y of an inner core,` aspiral-bl'adeinterposed between said casi'ng and core, and a letter-chute extencbing;through said rinner core.

6. The combination with an outer casing, of an inner core, and a spiral bladefinter# posed between said' casing and core, said casing having 'an' observation-opening and an 75 intake-openin 7. The comlrinationof afgravit jconveyere havinganfobservationopening an' anintaieeopening, and aletterrchute extending-through l'the interioro said conveyer-- 8. The combina-tion of a gravitvconveyer; and a letter-chute ofi rectangular crosseseel; tion extending longitudinally-through tlieiin'- lterior ofsaid convey'eri 91 The combination of"4 amultiple'f spiral vgravity conveyer; and adlljlu-rality'l oiiletter chiites extending longitii' "nelly-through the"- interior of said conveyor.-

11i The combina-tionfalmultiplfes 'im ral 'gravity conveyer; of reeeivin .fxr'i'e'ane-v or each spiral; a letter-chute; and a' dition'al ref-l vceiving means Vfor said chute;l

12. The combination with a multi lespiff ra-l gravityconveyer; oi'a plurality-o letterchutes extendngelongitudnally thlrongh the'- interior--of'said -conveye1"`,-' l and-*abonat'the lowerY end 'l oftheveonveyer andclin-tea and provided with separate'- compartinen'n'fiai? each-oi `the fspiralsandf'chutes.

13% The combina-tionwwith a --conveyer; of ane-inner: letter-chute; and meansaIHerd-'rig.' communication between the outenfpoien-l 105 of 'the cen'veyeriand; saidinner chute 14. The' combination with a -cmv1ey'er}- off an innerL chute,means aiording tion between the outer portion of 'said veyer and saidinnerichnte, and lob'iaeivation-v 1 1o openingsfadiaeent said nar-ia'n's.T Y

15.` The- Q ,oi'nbinationv with a gravity con veyer, oian-imier chutehavingjone of its: walls composed'otransparent material, and an' -aux-iliary chute'"eirtenflinfg-y the err-tee' 1 1 5 rior of-'saidfconveyer to'said 1ini.nerfclnifter;said conveye'rbeingfprovided-with 'ob'vsfnvntionopenings-1n alinement 'with the: transparent wall of E saidn'ner chute.

16." The cpmbinatienwitha vcon'veyerg-foi x zo an'- innerfchute, and an'z-anxiliary chute' ex# tending from the exteriorofsaidfconveyer 'tosaid inner chute, ysaidl convey/ierl and innerchute being' provided withobServation-openr ings.

17. The combination with an' outencasg; of an inner core, an interposed spiral-blade; and aninner chute, said casingfandoorefle' provided with openings i115' substantial alinemexitfwitheaehiother l' 13o IOO ' an inner letter-chute, and an a terior o 18. The combination with an outer casing,-4 of an inner core, an interposed spiral blade,

19. The combination with an outer casing,

of an inner core, an interposeiral blade,

'ary letterchute below said blade and connecting an opening in the outer casing withian opening in the inner chute) through an opening in the inner core, said casing, core an inner-chute being provided withobservation-openings between said blade and said auxilia chute. `20. The combination with a gravlt con-` veyer, of an inner chute, and a plura 'ty of auxiliary chutes extendin between theex- `said conveyer an said inner chute, said conveyer and inner chute be' provided with observation-openings adjacent each of said auxiliary chutes.

21. The combination with a gravity conveyer, of landing-floors therefor, an inner chute, auxiliary conveying means adjacent a l landing and extending between the 'exterior of said conveyor and said inner-chute. ,22. The combination with a gravity conveyer', of landing-floorstherefor, a plurality of inner chutes, and auxiliaryconveying meansextending from the exterior of sai conveyer adjacent a floor-landing to the inner chutes, said conveyer and chutes being provided 'with observation-openings.

v 23. The combination with a multiple spiral gravity conveyer, of landing-doors therefor, an inner chute, and means aordin communication between the exterior of sai conveyer and said inner chute at a point adjacent a Hoor-landing, said conveyer and chute bei g provided with openings in substantial a 'nement with each other.

24. The combination with an outer casing, of an inner core, a plurality of spiral blades interposed between said casing and core to form conveying-surfaces for packages, a plurality of'letter-chutes extending ongitudinally through said inner core, means affording communication between said outer casv ing ,at points adjacent a floor-landing and the sald letter-chutes; said' outer casing having j intake-openings and observation-openings adjacent the spirals of the conveyer, and the letter-chute being providedwith additional observation-o emngs for the letter-chutes; and individua receiving means for the letterchlutes and for the package-conveying spira s.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

. MARTIN SCHWAB.-

Witnesses; I

CARL P. Scnnonnnn. CHAaH. SEEM. 

